ARMY RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 53

ARMY RUGBY FOOTBALL

NEW ZEALANDERS' REVENGE. (From o:jb Own' Correspokdent.) LONDON, April 21. A thrilling game at i-Ucnmond resulted iu the New Ziw-uluiid Fntecii defeating thy South African Heavy artillery by 5 points to 3. Both trios were cotamed m the first half. Private Rogers gained the try tor rsew Zealand, Lance-cori-oral Clifford converting; and Ulunner Halm scored In- the South Africans, The ma-ch atcract-d tue largest crowd that has bc( n seen at a Rugby match in London this season. rroin kick-off to "no side" it was a hard match. The men from Hornchurch scored in the first live minutes, attcr a line rush three parts the length of the fi<»ld, and luc-Kily for them the try was converted. Fifteen minutes later the iiouiti Alncans executed a perfect movement in half and throe* quarter play for Harm to make a try, but tile place-kick, from a difficult position, failed Thus the whole of the scoring waft done in taa first 20 minutes or thereabouts. lhere were many incidents that came near to producing other points, and it was virtually " touch and go" for the verdict until the end came, i'he New Zi i landers to some extent avenged their loss by a dropped goal and a try at Queen's Club, and the position of the two great colonial sides dru.ni from overseas contingents is tnut " Honours are easy." Gunner Parkin played a superb game for the South Airie.in.-. at back, while eraser, the New Zealand winy forwaid, won golden opinions for his clover exhibition. It was a delightful match fought out in the best sporting spirit. There was a large number of service men to see the game, and among til.} visitors m Hie Royal box were: General Ss! William flobertsc-ii. D '- 0., Oh z>. ct t' s General Staff; Sir Lhonirs Mackenzie; Colonel Helbert (representing the High Commissioner for South Airica); ; Admiral Sir E. Fremantle, Major Haggard, Captain T. K. Uoiinc. and Major i . H. Dawson. The Sailors and Soldiers' Tobacco Fund will profit very substantially from the game. Commenting on the play, The Times says tha-i "the New Zcalandcrs thoroughly deserved their victory, and with a little luck they might easily have scored on one or two other occasions; they certainly had more opportunities than their opponents, but their cli'oits wore frustrated at the critical moment. It was an exceptionally fast game, in which, the magnificent tackling of both sides always stood out prominently, and the pace at which the ball Travelled up and down the field spoke volumes for the fine condition cf the men."' The Athletic News regrets that the game was "scrappy and rather unskilled. Several prominent players were away from both sides, but this was not what caused the degeneracy in the standard. The real fact was. that.'both sides wore so anxious about the result that they failed to do themselves justice." The Morning Post once more refers to the Now Zealand wing forward, its critic saving: "In Saturday's match we again had a test between, roughly, the pure Rugby game as played at Home and that fcvpo of colonial play which the Now Zcalandcrs. above all others, have math; so efficacious by the attention they paid to systematic forward work and the exploitation of the wing forward, who is forward in name, usurping the privileges of a hah" back. What made for the New Zealand victory more than anything else was intense tackling and the keenness with which the nun kept on the ball." The teams were: -New Zealand: Gunner. Everett, Sapper Burns, Lance-corporal l'.uldeley, Lance-corporal Griffiths, Lance-cor-porai Clifford, Lance-corporal Jeffs. Private Rogers, Sergeant Muir (captain). Trooper Frascr, (rainier Brown, Trooper Park', Lfii.ce corporal Harding, Corporal Frecker, Trooper Ovens, Corporal Hall. South Africa: Gunner Parkin. Gunner Nairn, Lieutenant P, A. Hands (captain), Lieutenant A. W. Roper, Gunner Abell, Gunner Rosser, Gunner Roddick, Gunner C. W. Hoaro, Gunner Waller, Gunner James. Gunner Mellish, Gunner Bergh,

Major H. C. Harrison, Gunner Luxton, Gunner A. S. Hoaro. SOUTH AFRICAN INFANTRY BEATEN. At Queen's Uiub Ujo New Zea'undcil defeated the youth African Infantry by a penalty goal and a try to a dropped goaJ --6 points to 4 It was a territic game from start to finish, and our men just gained tho day by the extra cleverness ot their forwards in the rushes, and theil keenness to a man to be on tho ball when their goal line was in danger. During tho last 10 minutes the South Africans strongly attacked, and as they were only 2 points behind it was a case of touch and go. At this period the New Zealandera surpassed themselves, and their tackling was superb. The South Africans swept up the field time and again, trying' as hard aa possible to cross the line and convert defeat into victory. An unerring piece of fielding by the Hornchurch men would have been fatal, and never once did a man play false. Tho spectators were treated to a splendid game of Rugby, such as is rarely witnessed on this side. It had taken tho New Zealanders nearly half an hour to make the first score —a penalty goal placed by Clifford from tho edge of the field. Then, early in the second half, came their try by Muir, who fielded the ball after a forward rush, and went in. It looked then as if New Zealand had the game set, L>js South Africa pulled together and delivered many smashing attacks. With a quarter of an hour to go Corporal James (Rhodesia), the full back, playing close up to the threequarters, dropped a delightful right-foot goal from tho verge of touch, and then, with the South Africans forcing tho play, ic might have been their game, but for thai unerringnees of the New Zealanders iu keeping on the ball. Commenting on the play, The Times saysi ''lt was a very hard game, but the quality of the football was not nearly so good as that of the previous Saturday, and it was difficult to re,disc that the New Zealand team was practically identical with that which defeated the South African Heavy Artillery at Richmond. '.lho New Zealand forwards were beaten for possession of tho ball in tho scrummage, but when the backs did get going their short, sharp passing was; in marked contrast to that of theic opponents*. Tho tackling, however, was very sure, and few runs of any length were executed. During the first half there was much scrambling play, but afterwards tho game improved considerably, and became very fast, first one side pressing and then the* other, with the New Z alandcrs generally showing themselves slightly the stronger.'' The teams were: New Zealand—Everett, Burns. Baddeley, Griffiths, Jeffs, Clifford, Rogers, Muir (captain, wing forward). Ovens, Brown. Park, Hall, Eraser, Harding Boyle. South African Infantry: James. Cook, Dickson. Fitzpatrick. Mason, Townsend, Bassett, Ledger. Farquharson, Lazarus, M avers, Thomas, Forbes, Scheopers (captain). DECISIVE WIN AT CAMBRIDGE. . The New Zealanders visited Cambridge yesterday and defeated the 2nd (Cadets) Pembroke Battalion by 4 goals and 4 tries to I try. The losers, a fast and wiry team, played a good game, but met a edde who were too strong for their.. Tho All Blacks' backs, passed cleverly, and their forwards were seen to advantage in loose rushes, while their defence was, solid. Clifford and Jeffs were very prominent, and Ovens was the best forward on the ground. Baddeley had the misfortune to injure his hip For New Zealand the tries wcro scored by Clifford, Burns (2). Frieker. Jeffs, Baddeley. White, end Muir. Clifford converted on four occasions.